


The Proposal

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Marriage Proposal, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 08:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19422544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: ‘You’ve never been idiotic before. I think you’re overdue.’





	The Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> For Anonymous, who asked for a "fic where Kent and Sue have been together for a while and he tries to plan a surprise proposal?" I hope you enjoy it!

Sue glowered at the ceiling. How dare it be there, existing, when she was unable to sleep. It was glare at the ceiling or look at Kent. If she looked at Kent, she would have to kick him in the shin or push him out of the bed. She was unable to sleep; however, he was not only asleep but snoring lightly. That wasn’t usual. She listened a little more closely, there was a tiny snuffle as he breathed in. An incipient cold. Wonderful.

Sue checked her watch. She’d been awake for almost an hour. She got up out of bed, pulled on Kent’s dressing robe, stepped into her slippers, and went out of the bedroom. As she walked into the kitchen, Asimov rattled over and rubbed against her legs. It had taken her a long time to get used to seeing him in his little cart. Frankly, it had seemed cruel. Asimov in his cart, Shelley with no eyes, and Loudon constantly falling, had seemed like sick jokes. But Asimov was lethally fast, zooming around like a NASCAR driver, Shelley had a sickening taste for heights, and Loudon would pounce on and “kill” anything small and fluffy. Kent’s menagerie of broken cats was loud, exuberant, and happy.

Shelley was on top of the refrigerator. Sue reached up to scratch the cat’s head. There were a series of shelves carefully placed to allow Shelley to climb up and a wire mesh around it to prevent accidental falls. Without the shelves, Kent had explained, Loudon tried to jump up and Shelley tried to follow the noise. They were alarming thoughts.

Sue’s hand touched something she wasn’t expecting. There was something small and squarish on the top of the refrigerator. What a ridiculous place to put anything. Kent knew better than that. He was lucky that Shelley hadn’t already knocked it down off the shelves. She got a grip on the box and lifted it down.

Oh.

Oh.

It was a small blue box. A ring box, in fact. Sue reached up to put it back. Except... maybe it wasn’t a ring. She would be operating with faulty data. Kent wouldn’t expect her to do that. That wouldn’t be logical. And if it was a ring... well, she already knew. It wasn’t like a dress. Seeing it wasn’t the issue as much as knowing it was coming. That had already happened. Maybe.

Sue opened the box. Inside was a platinum band with a pear-shaped diamond. It was more elegant than she would have expected.

The door opened. Sue shoved the box back up, then spun around to face the door. Trying to catch her breath. Trying not to look like she’d been caught red –

There was nobody there. Correction. There was a black cat who fell over as she attempted to wash her foot.

‘I suppose you think that you are very amusing,’ Sue said sourly.

***

Amy’s face was a mixture of horror and disgust. ‘What are you going to do?’

‘He hasn’t asked me yet,’ Sue said.

‘He’s clearly gonna,’ Amy said.

Sue sipped her wine. ‘However, he hasn’t yet. I can’t do anything until he does. That’s not how it’s done.’

Amy pulled her face. ‘You’re just gonna wait around for him to bless you with a proposal?’

Sue rolled her eyes. ‘How is that any different from what I was doing before I found the ring?’

Amy poured herself a drink from the pitcher. 'You weren’t waiting around for him to ask you to marry him.’

'Not consciously,' Sue said. 'However, it has been five years. I was shocked but not surprised.’

‘That makes no fucking sense.’

Sue pursed her lips. 'Your grasp of the fine nuance of language could be improved.’

'At least I’m not waiting around for some guy to offer me a ring,' Amy sniffed.

Sue raised an eyebrow. 'It's a Tiffany ring.’

'Fuck!'

***

Working in the White House was not for the weak. The turnover was high. Hardly any of them had been through a campaign before. Sue was, of course, highly experienced.

Her colleagues were not. Many of them were barely out of college. Some of them did not understand that personal and professional were separate and distinct. They expected her to have “dirt” they could use about the Meyer campion. She did, of course. Between things she knew first-hand and things that Kent had told her; she had enough dirt to bury everyone from President Meyer down to the lowliest staffer. Of course, she said nothing. She could keep secrets, whether her own or other peoples.

She didn't say anything when Kent unexpectedly took her out to her favourite restaurant. Not even when he completely failed to get out the ring.

She kept her counsel when, for their anniversary, he gave her a delicate platinum... bracelet.

'Maybe he changed his mind', Amy said.

Sue glowered at her. 'He didn't.'

'People get cold feet. Is the ring still there?'

'I haven't checked,' Sue snapped. 'Of course it's still there. Why wouldn't it be? We've been together this long. Why would he change his mind suddenly?'

Amy shrugged. 'You can be a royal bitch,' she said. 'Plus, he's on campaign with Selina. All those little interns running around. Men can't keep their dicks in their pants.'

Sue narrowed her eyes. 'He isn't like that.'

'It’s been weeks,' Amy said. 'Take a hint.'

***

Sue stared at the ceiling. It was that or kick Kent. He had a rare few days at home. The cats had been all over him for hours. Aloof. Ha. Now Shelley was on the pillow, tangled in Kent's hair and Asimov was sprawled across the bottom of the bed. Sue always worried about Asimov, but he seemed determined to sleep on the bed with them. He trundled over to it and meowed continuously until they took him out of the cart and put him at the bottom of the bed.

Sue got out of bed, put on Kent's robe, and went to the kitchen. For once she didn't bump her toe on Asimov's little cart. She looked to the top of the refrigerator. She didn't reach up. She made a cup of herbal tea. A little thud from the hallway was doubtless Loudon rambling. Sue looked at the top of the refrigerator. Damn Amy, filling her head with nonsense. Why would Kent change his mind? It made no sense. Right. Very well. She'd check the box was there and she could cast it out of her mind properly.

Louden rubbed against her ankles on her way to the food bowls. Sue ducked down to scratch her head, and then stretched up to grab the box.

It had been near the front hadn't it? Maybe in the corner? Sue grabbed a chair and climbed up. Where was it? It had to be here. It _had_ to be.

***

Louden rubbed her face against Sue’s arm. Sue scooped the cat up and held the cat against her chest. She buried her face in the cat’s fur. Louden purred loudly in response.

‘Stupid cat,’ Sue mumbled.

‘Sue?’ Kent asked. He sounded confused and sleepy.

She didn’t look up at him. She was sat on the floor in front of the refrigerator.

‘What’s wrong?’ Kent asked, sitting next to her.

She shook her head. She put Loudon down and tried to dry her eyes. Kent took her hands in his and gently dried her eyes with a tissue.

‘Whatever it is, you can tell me,’ Kent promised.

Sue shook her head. ‘It’s… It’s idiotic.’

‘Good.’

‘Good?’

He smiled. ‘You’ve never been idiotic before. I think you’re overdue.’

Sue rubbed her eyes. ‘I found the ring,’ she said, not looking at him. ‘But you didn’t ask me.’ Her voice was speeding up. ‘I waited and I waited, and you didn’t ask. Amy said you might’ve changed your mind and now the box isn’t there and that means you changed your mind and, and...’

Kent pulled her close. ‘It’s okay,’ he promised rubbing her back. ‘It’s okay.’

‘It’s not,’ she said. ‘It’s pathetic and I am _not_ pathetic, Kent,’ she said, trying to glare at him.

He brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes. ‘If I thought you were going to ask me to marry you but that had changed your mind, I’d be a blubbery mess too.’

She scowled at him. ‘How blubbery will you be if I dump you?’

He thought about it. ‘Worse than this. Significantly worse.’

‘Damn right.’

He gave Louden a pat. ‘Shall I get the ring?’

She bit her lip and took a deep breath. ‘You can if you want,’ she said. ‘If it’s important to you.’

He kissed her softly. ‘Okay.’

She watched him stand up. ‘Properly. Bended knees.’

Kent shrugged. ‘I think traditionally it’s one knee. Two knees would be begging.’

Sue raised her eyebrows. ‘ _And_?’

He nodded. ‘Roger.’

She watched him pad out of the kitchen. He was wearing a little pair of boxer-briefs that hugged his ass. She’d bought those. He hadn’t been quite as hopeless as many of her previous boyfriends, but he was reluctant to discard any clothing that wasn’t actually falling apart. He was also reluctant to spend a reasonable amount of money on underwear. Sue believed firmly that underwear was the foundation of an outfit.

Also, she liked the way his ass looked in boxer-briers.

She straightened up as he walked back.

‘I wanted it to be perfect,’ he said quietly. ‘I couldn’t get just the ideal setting and moment.’

‘Oh.’ Sue stood up. ‘Come on.’ She scooped up Louden and walked to the bedroom.

‘You’re not filling me with confidence,’ Kent said wryly.

‘ _Your_ confidence is not the issue.’ Sue sat on the bed next to Asimov and Shelley, with Loudon on her lap.

Kent nodded. ‘I see.’ He knelt in front of Sue. ‘Sue, I wanted this to be so perfect that I made it impossible. Obviously, the important thing isn’t where we are or the music playing or the food we’ve eaten. What’s important is that we love each other. We want to make a life together.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Sue, will you marry me?’

She took a breath to steady her nerves. ‘Yes.’

‘Oh, thank goodness,’ Kent said.

‘Give me the ring, you’re doing this all wrong,’ she scolded playfully.

Kent rolled his eyes. ‘Forgive me for not being completely prepared at one in the morning.’

Sue let him put the ring on her finger. She could feel him shaking.

‘You knew I was going to say yes,’ she said.

‘No, I hoped you were.’ He sat beside her. ‘I know better than to make any assumptions with you.’

Sue took his hand in hers. ‘Why’d you move the box?’

He leaned against her. ‘Loudon was knocking it around. I was worried.’

‘Ah.’ She kissed him softly on the mouth. ‘You should’ve known I would say yes.’

He returned her kiss. ‘You should’ve known I wouldn’t change my mind.’

‘Goodnight Kent,’ Sue said.

‘Goodnight! Sue,’ he said. ‘I love you.’

She smiled. ‘I never doubted it.’

The End


End file.
